09/26/07 Decanting Wine

Welcome to Vine to Wine, this is your host Linda Moran. Every once in awhile I begin thinking about those wonderful red wines that we have in our cellar. And one consideration to make when opening a special bottle of red wine is - to decant - or not to decant, the wine. On today's program we are going to discuss how to decant a bottle of red wine  assuming you have decided to decant. To decant your special wine properly you need to plan ahead. Begin by standing the bottle upright in your cellar for several days to allow the sediment to fall and settle at the bottom of the bottle. You will need some basic equipment to execute the decanting of your special red wine - a glass decanter, a candle, a wine opener and a towel or napkin to wipe up any drips. Most red wines are in a very dark glass bottle so remove the foil entirely from the neck and remove the cork. Light your candle. Hold the decanter firmly at an angle in your left hand (if you are right handed and the opposite if you are a lefty). With the wine in your opposite hand hold it above the candle so that the light allows you to see the wine as it passes from the bottle to the decanter across the neck. Pour slowly until you begin to see the very cloud of sediment and then stop pouring. Set aside the bottle and set the decanted wine on the table. Blow out the candle and you are ready to enjoy your special bottle of wine. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.